TOURNAMENT of ALL-TIME CHAMPIONS

scratch champ James Hawkins & runner-up Michael Haugen Jr; handicap champ Luke Jordan

        James Hawkins and Luke Jordan beat the best of the best and captured titles in the JBT Tournament of All-Time Champions, hosted by Glenfair Lanes.

        Anyone who has ever won or finished second in any JBT sponsored event (east or west coast) can bowl, which creates one of the toughest fields of the year, especially in scratch, as the college, amatuer, and even professional ranks are filled with bowlers with JBT pedigrees.  The result was a ridiculously talented final four.  The stepladder opened with a battle of two bowlers who dominated JBT in their respective eras, and 22-time JBT champ Andrew Cain came up with a 204-184 win over the Tour's current version of Andrew, 45-time champ Kyle King.  James Hawkins, a 7-time champ and one of the premier two-handed bowlers on Tour, then went nuts.  He dispatched Cain with an 11-strike, 278-237 win in the semifinal to advance to the title match.

        All James had to do to win was get past PBA exempt pro Michael Haugen Jr., who already won a T of C title-- on the PBA Tour.  On a lane condition where 200s were rare and 230s were excellent, both bowlers put on a clinic to the delight of the crowd.  Hawkins may be the best strike-machine on Tour when he gets it going, and he did here, blasting a 258-233 win over Haugen for the T of C crown, and his 8th career JBT title.  Any JBT title is sweet, but going through Andrew Cain and Michael Haugen to win one will certainly be a memory he'll cherish.

        Cortez Schenck, who has had an outsanding first full JBT season, won round one of the handicap finals with a 204-184 win over 2-time winner Ryan Doan.  KJ Martinez, who edged out Schenck for Arizona Rookie of the Year, then beat Cortez 203-185 to advance to the title match.

        Top seed Luke Jordan came on strong in the spring in the Pac NW Conference, breaking through for his first win at Crosley in May.  He rolled to the top seed for the T of C, and brimmed with confidence in a 262-210 win over Martinez for the championship and first JBT major victory.

        Thanks to the crew at Glenfair for a terrific job hosting this fun and prestigious event.  Be sure to get yourself T of C eligible if you're not to be a part of the action next season!

*prizes above are only finishing position; brackets applied to simultaneous Desert Open